The Empress (Aetheric Realms)
The Empress is the 20th god of creation, a master of tyrants, greed, and envy. Information Block Name: The Empress Greater Domains: Order Moderate Domains: Fey Lesser Domains: Envy, Greed, Tyrants, Love, Sloth, Gluttony, Lust, Pride, Wrath Shared Domains: N/A Alignment: Unaligned Physical Appearance: Former: A terrible, yet beautiful looking woman. She appears to be an exquisitely caved statue made of jade, with chunks made out of iron. Her six arms are constantly in motion, performing a sinuously entrancing dance. Current: '''A human woman with long, dark hair and skin also on the dark side. Her eyes are large and green. Recently, she looked ragged and unkempt, but since arriving at the Palace of Xa'an, she has cleaned herself up rather nicely, and is rather beautiful. '''Symbol: A coin that shows heads on both sides. One side is made of jade or is somehow represented as green, the other is made of iron, or somehow represented as grey or black. Background Planes Artifacts The Land Spike: '''This strange artifact was the Empress' first creation. When she was ascended, she was surrounded with the primal essence of creation, so she compacted this into a solid shape, so that it would persevere, and she could use it to her own ends. It provides one PP per turn towards Create actions. It also provides a +2 bonus to attack actions. '''Atakhari: The home realm of the Dasa, this artifact is a shining city constructed entirely of jade. Niyanta, the home of The Empress, sits in the center of the city, which is riddled by a series of canals that connect to the large basin in the center of the city, and hold The Rain, a life-giving fluid that has blessed the Dasa with much luck these past years. The city floats high above the world below, drifting on a sea of clouds. Some days, the skies are clear, and the view is magnificent, and others, the city sits just atop the clouds. Still others have the city washed over, sometimes entirely, with seas of white mist, obscuring any vision. Loma Spiders and various birds also call the city home. It provides 1 PP towards Nourish actions. The Rain: A life-giving liquid, The Rain fell from the sky when the Dasa were most in need. They built canals and basins to hold the liquid, and ever since, the race has been blessed with prosperity. It provides 1 PP towards Spawn actions. Leilaka: '''The mirror realm of '''Atakhari, Leilaka '''exists in the Chaos. It appears to be identical to '''Atakhari, '''though it is composed entirely of iron. It is home to the Loha, who are also brethren of the Dasa. It provides 1 PP towards Shape actions. '''The Envious Glass: '''This mirror was given to worshippers of '''the Empress. '''It is an invaluable tool that allows one to scry from the surface of any reflective object the user knows of. The Glass can also be commanded to reveal the user of the Glass in that same reflective surface. This is useful for it is a perfect tool for spying, and for sending messages to far off places. It is currently in the hands of the Beggar's Guild. '''The Heart: '''This pulsating orb of energy and molten rock exists at the core of '''Atakhari '''and '''Leilaka '''simultaneously. It acts as a bridge between the two locations, and allows passage between the mortal realm and the Chaos. It also provides 1 PP towards Mold actions. Exarchs '''Priya: The result of an unexpected tryst between The Empress and Drahthor, the God of Creation and Destruction. She appears as a beautiful human child, with a dusky skin tone, and deep brown hair and matching, chocolaty brown eyes. She is irrevocably adorable, and any who meet her would become immediately enamored. She is unlike her mother in every possible sense, she is unselfish, forgiving, kind, and above all, altruistic. It is speculated that she possesses a divine spark, through it is still a mystery if the magic she invokes is her own, or simply the wayward power of The Empress. Regardless, she is thought of as the mother of the Dasa, even at her current tender age. It is unknown whether Priya will ever age, at the moment she appears as a babe of the tender age of one. She is a newborn no longer, which may imply that her growth has yet to meet its peak, though as an immortal child, it is clear she will remain in this world for years to come. Priya has yet to speak, so it is not certain if she is able, though the first to know would undoubtedly be her de-facto nanny, the halfling Elli. In fact, it is not yet clear whether she possesses any improved mental faculties as a result of her exalted method of birth, and it is still necessary for Elli to care for her. Much is to be expected from this curious little bundle of joy, and if the ominous lines of light that mark her form at moments of great magical happenings are of any indication, then she will certainly leave an everlasting mark upon the world. Tsul'Kalu: A gift from the light god, Xa'an, with his dying breaths, this plant-like creature serves as the focus for Fey Pacts for warlocks. He also provides a +2 bonus to attack actions. Heroes Races and People-Groups The Dasa: '''This is a race of entertainers and servants. They inhabit the Jade Palace, Niyanta, and their only purpose is to maintain it. For now, the Palace provides them with all they need, and in return they keep the Palace in good condition, by cleaning, and preparing food. They are the quintessential servants, multi-tasking with ease with their four arms, and subservient to a fault. All they really know how to do is provide for themselves, and for others. They were created from green stone by the god-child Priya, and that is all they need for sustenance. They may eat other food, if they wish, but they find it easiest to simply eat the green rock. They are very graceful, and inherited much of the hardiness from the stone from which they were created. They are about the same height as halflings, though they are much thinner, and appear somewhat willowy, with long, thin arms and legs. They are all bald, and they have green skin. Depressions in their skin, similar to carvings in stone, differentiate one Dasa from another. '''Rakshasas: '''This race of tiger-faced killers were born of the Empress' fury when a group of humans dared to worship another, when she had already bestowed her blessing upon them. The Rakshasas inherited a taste for luxury from their mother, as well as a streak if subtlety they share with their cousins, the Talua. However, they are much more outright violent than the Talua, though nowhere near as violent as many of the races of the world. Their fury, however, was great when they were first created, and the Empress, who wasn't a foolish goddess, did not wish to visit chaos upon the world. So she lured the Rakshasas into her Jade Palace, Niyanta, where they slumber now, waiting for her to awake them. These Rakshasas, however, only include the Paragon versions, not the Epic versions. Beasts '''The Talua: '''This group of enigmatic shapeshifters adhere only to the will of the Empress, and they represent her darkest side. Possessed of a strange and terrible magic, they stalk through the mortal races, spreading evil and discord wherever they go, through subtle manipulation, or through even viler means. They are known, also, to capture mortals, and return them to Niyanta, where they serve an unknowable, and undoubtedly sinister, purpose. Not much is known about them, though it is clear that, when presented with imminent capture, the Talua will stop at nothing to serve only their mistress until the very end, even if that means that that end come sooner than might be anticipated. Plants '''The Loma Plant: This ivy-like plant grows on the outside surfaces of buildings in Atakhari. An explosion of brightly coloured flowers and emerald leaves decorate the plant, and, during harvest season, fruit appear on the plant. Loma Spiders call the plant home, for that is their namesake, and eat of the fruit. Landforms Power Level 4pp per turn Category:ARGods